


Dregs Reunion

by Bibliophile_13



Category: Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-28
Updated: 2019-01-13
Packaged: 2019-05-15 03:29:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14782820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bibliophile_13/pseuds/Bibliophile_13
Summary: Hey, sorry if I got any coordinates/how they got there wrong. Bear with me if I did and feel free to comment and tell me. If I notice anything, I will fix it ASAP.





	1. Part One- Inej

Inej was not certain of whether Nina was serious or not when she had suggested- rather enthusiastically- that all the Dregs that had gone on their little ‘mission’, minus Matthias, of course, meet up for a reunion. She was not certain if Jesper was serious when he said that he and Wylan could make it. She was not certain if her parents, whom she found a good month after searching relentlessly, were serious when they said that she should go. She was not certain if she was serious when she agreed to take a break from performing with her family and helping other Suli girls for the three-day reunion.

What she was certain of was that when Kaz did not reply, if meant he was not coming. He was Dirtyhands, after all, a notorious thief, lockpick, and Dreg.

Kaz Brekker was not one for something as frivolous as a reunion.

Definitely not.

And yet, she still found herself hoping, wondering…

 _Snap out of it, Inej,_ she chided herself. _It’s Kaz Brekker. He isn’t coming. A reunion is not his scene, especially not when he has work to do for the Dregs._

And Kaz Brekker indeed it was who she saw walking into the designated meeting spot, Wylan’s mansion, limping and smirking, gloves on, looking as much like the thief he was as he always had.

“Kaz!” said Jesper. “You actually came.”

“As it seems,” Kaz replied, voice raspy as ever, “the Dregs had time for me to take three days off to meet with some old accomplices.”

“Accomplices,” Inej repeated. She knew that it was just Kaz being… Kaz, but it stung all the same. An Investment, he had once called her. A valuable investment. She had wondered what she was to him now several times, and supposed that now, at least, she knew.

“Yes,” said Kaz. “Accomplices.”

“Well,” said Nina, clapping her hands excitedly, “we’re all incredibly glad you could make it.”

“Matthias wouldn’t be.”

Nina shrugged. “He’s here reminding us that it was a terrible idea to even invite you in spirit.”

Kaz cracked a smile. “No, he isn’t. His ghost won’t associate with our ghosts, remember?”

Wylan chuckled slightly. “Jesper is having me teach him flute.”

“And piano,” said Jesper brightly.

Wylan glared. “I don’t know piano.”

Jesper shrugged, unfazed. “You know the basics.”

Wylan made some nonsensical noise, unable to dispute.

“Well,” Kaz rasped, “I don’t expect we’re just sitting here the entire time, are we?”

“I would certainly hope not. It’s been too long since I’ve really done anything,” said Inej.

Kaz looked at her for the first time, and his lips quirked up in a smile. “I’d like to see if the best spider in the Barrel is still the best spider in the Barrel.”

Inej scoffed. “Of course I am.”

“Stop flirting, you two,” said Nina. “Matthias’s ghost is internally puking because it’s so disgusting to him. And of course we’re not just sitting here the entire time. You’ll be happy to know that I got us a job.”

“You,” said Kaz. “You got us a job.”

“Yes,” she said, voice bright.

“How much does it pay?”

Inej smirked. Kaz really hadn’t changed.

Nina stiffened. “Fifteen thousand _kurge.”_

“Three thousand _kurge_ each, then,” said Wylan. “Not that I need more.” he gestured to the mansion’s elaborate designs. “I’d be willing to give up my five thousand and up it a bit for each of you.”

“Hold on there, merchling,” said Jesper. “I don’t need more pay either. Haven’t got any debts to pay back, so I’m fine. Trying to quit gambling, too. Mine’ll go it with Wylan’s. The three of you get five thousand _kurge_ each.”

Kaz raised an eyebrow and shrugged. “Five thousand _kurge_ for me, Inej, and Nina each, then.”

Everyone nodded in confirmation.

“All right,” Kaz rasped, turning back to Nina. “What’s the job?”

“The job,” said Nina, clearly enjoying her moment in the spotlight, “is to find Pekka Rollins.”

He scoffed. “Find Pekka Rollins.”

“Yes,” said Nina. “It should be easy.”

“Hold on,” said Jesper, holding up a hand. “Just find him. Don’t kill him, don’t cheat him, don’t steal from him… just find him?”

“Yes.”

Inej frowned. “I have to say, I’m a bit offended. Last time I saw Pekka Rollins, it was when I snuck into his room and threatened to kill him. Could have, if I wanted to.”

Kaz chuckled. “The last time I was face to face with Rollins I made him hand over a few thousand kurge and pickpocketed him a bit.” he turned to Nina. “Can’t say I’m not offended, either.”

Jesper rolled his eyes. “Dirtyhands all the way through,” he said. “Even in the face of Pekka Rollins.”

Kaz smirked. “Rollins doesn’t scare me.”

“Don’t act so cocky, Brekker,” said Jesper. “Dirtyhands could have his weakness spread like wildfire by any of us real quick.” he snapped his fingers.

Kaz glanced at Inej for a millisecond.

She, of course, knew his weakness more than anyone else. Her words from before echoed in her mind. And how will you have me? she had asked. Hands gloved, head turned away so our lips can never touch? I will have you without armor, Kaz Brekker, or I will not have you at all.

The word ‘heartache’ had an entirely new meaning when Kaz Brekker was around, and even the most skilled Heartrender couldn’t make the pain go away.

Not that Inej wanted the pain gone in the first place. It was a welcome distraction to the other feelings she had when Kaz was around.

“Moving along,” said Nina, clapping once and interrupting the awkward silence, “how do you suppose we start?”

“A plan, of course,” said Kaz. His gaze went far off, eyes slightly unfocused.

“Scheming face,” said Jesper.

“Definitely,” replied Inej.

“Pekka Rollins fled somewhere around the East side of Ketterdam. He wouldn’t leave, everything he owns and most of his clients are here. Besides, if you want to run a scam, you do it in Ketterdam.

“He wouldn’t settle down in one place so soon. I bet he’s been staying in inns, no pattern, to throw people off. Using fake names, of course. Jakob Hertzoon, things like that.” Kaz hesitated. “We’ll have to check around. Look for things that aren’t usually there. A storefront that just opened. A newcomer in town. He could be anywhere in the East.”

“Who’s to say he didn’t go West? South? North?” Wylan asked.

“Rollins is a coward, and he thinks like one, too. He was last spotted in the East. That means whoever was looking for him would assume he’s in the West. He pretends our dear friend Mark is where he isn’t.”

Wylan blushed bright red at that.

“Fine,” said Inej, unable to fault Kaz’s logic. “How are we getting to the East, then?”

Kaz grimaced. “That’s the only fault. To take a helicopter would draw far too much attention, and a train is too public. If we needed to escape, there wouldn’t be enough room, and there would be too many people by the amount of room we did have.”

“Which means we have to walk,” said Inej.

“Which means we have to walk.” confirmed Kaz.

“The only question is,” said Jesper, “how do we walk to the East side of Ketterdam, find Rollins, and get back in three days?”

Kaz shrugged. “We’ve done crazier things before.”

“Indeed,” said Nina. “And those crazy things cost Matthias’s life. We don’t want to lose another to a job so simple.”

“Helvar’s death almost didn’t happen,” said Kaz.

“But it did. And I refuse to lose another one of you guys. Even you, Kaz.”

Inej sighed. “She has a point. We have to be careful.”

“When are we not careful?” Kaz asked.

“All the time,” said Jesper, tone light.

“Any way we could keep this to our timeline for sure while being careful?” Inej asked.

The silence that followed was answer enough.

“Walk fast?” Wylan suggested.

They shrugged, agreeing, all knowing that this job would last more than three days, but not saying anything.

“Well then,” said Kaz, clasping his gloved hands together. “No mourners.”

“No funerals,” the rest of them chorused.


	2. Part Two- Kaz

It had been a day since they had started toward the East side of Ketterdam, and it would be another half day of walking before they got there. Kaz wasn’t deluding himself, he knew that this would take longer than the three days allotted, but something told him to go all the same.

“Wake up,” he told Nina, nudging her with his foot.

They had opted to stay outside for the night rather than rent rooms at an inn.

Nina groaned and rolled over. “Please tell me we have waffles for breakfast.”

“No,” said Inej, walking over, “waffles are not on the menu.”

Kaz glanced at Inej, then quickly averted his eyes. She looked pretty in the morning light, and he wished he had something to say to her. Wished that they were alone. Wished, again, that he didn’t feel the way he did.

The worst part of the wishing was that he knew it was just that: wishing.

“I need waffles to get up,” said Nina.

“How about Jesper’s flute playing instead?” said Kaz. “Because if we wait too long he’s going to start practicing.”

Nina bolted upright. “Saints save my poor ears,” she said, and got ready.

Inej smirked and turned to Kaz as Nina went off to have a waffle-free breakfast. “So, how have you been, Brekker?”

“Well enough,” Kaz replied, a little hurt by the detachment of her voice. “How are you?”

“Fine. Saving girls is hard work, but it’s worth it.”

“I pity the poor men who have to go against you,” Kaz rasped.

Inej sat down and looked at him doubtfully. “Enough with the small talk.” she stretched out her legs. “So, who’s my replacement?”

Kaz flinched. “Who do you think?”

“Someone I’ve never met before that you picked up on the streets.”

“Right again. Aren’t as good as you,” he added.

Inej looked up at him again. Sighed. Looked away. “Don’t do this, Kaz,” she said, voice a defeated whisper.

“Do what?”

“Get my hopes up. We’re broken, both of us. Me from Tante Heleen and you from…” her voice trailed off. “Whatever happened. Don’t give me hope that this will work someday. Don’t try to tell me that we can try.”

“Why can’t we?”

“Because the way you’ll have me is with your hands gloved, head turned away so our lips can never touch.”

The words were so similar to the ones she had told Kaz before… and they still hurt just as much.

“I will have all of you,” she said, gaze still not meeting his, “or not at all.”

_I will have you without armor, Kaz Brekker. Or I will not have you at all._

Kaz stared at his gloved hands for a second before sitting next to her, resting his cane on the ground.

“What if we started,” he said, slipping his gloves off, “with some of me, or not at all?”” he reached over and clasped her hand in his without flinching or hesitating.

Inej turned her gaze to his. “That,” she said softly, “would be a start.”


	3. Part Three- Nina

Nina Zenik smiled softly as she watched Kaz take Inej’s hand in his own ungloved one. She was happy for them, but sad for herself. Life without Matthias was hard. But despite Kaz’s protests, Nina knew he was there in spirit, making snide remarks and calling Kaz _demjin._

Demon.

The word wasn’t the first one to come to mind when Kaz was around, but it was incredibly accurate. While Kaz might not have been a demon in the evil sense of the word, he was a trickster. Clever. Calculating. Hard and cruel and maniacal.

Inej was only two of those things. She shared Kaz’s cleverness, his all-seeing, his constantly calculating and evaluating state of mind, but that was all that they seemed to share.

Oh, and the slightly sardonic humor.

Inej, despite her cleverness, was also incredibly kind, and funny, and witty, and nice to be around.

Basically, Kaz Brekker did not deserve Inej Ghafa.

And yet he had her all the same.

Nina sighed and turned away from the scene, wanting to hurry. Kaz might not have been joking (if he could joke at all) about Jesper’s flute playing, after all. And nobody wanted or needed to hear Jesper play the flute ever, much less in the morning when they were all waking up.

Except Kaz.

He never seemed to sleep.

He was like a vampire or something.

Nina picked up one of the pre-prepared breakfast meals they had and wrinkled her nose. She looked around for a sign of edible food to no avail, and debated in her mind for a bit before breaking into her meager emergency butterscotch stash. A girl, she reflected, must always be prepared.

She was popping the first candy into her mouth when Wylan appeared beside her, trying to look stern and failing drastically.

“Butterscotch, Nina? Really?” he asked.

“Want one?” she replied, innocent to a fault.

Wylan hesitated. “Sure,” he finally said, taking one from the bag.

They stood in silence for a moment, chewing, acknowledging each others’ existence but not acting on it. It seemed like a situation that might occur between Inej and Kaz- knowing the other was there, wanting to say something, anything, but not doing it out of fear and self-preservation.

“So,” said Nina finally, “how’s Jesper?”

Wylan laughed. “He’s good. Annoying as ever and he’s still gambling, but good. He’s cut down a lot.”

“And you?”

“I’m good too. It’s much…” he trailed off. “Much quieter without my father.”

“Quieter.”

“Better,” he amended. “So, how are you, Zenik?”

She laughed, but it was a halfhearted effort. “As well as I can be,” she said, hoping that he wouldn’t talk about Matthias. It was always hard, of course, but especially now, around these people that he loved.

Or, perhaps, hated.

It had really been quite hard to tell.

“So, you’ve been teaching Jesper to play the flute,” she said, changing the subject quickly. Wylan raised an eyebrow, clearly catching on, but after a moment of hesitation he nodded.

“How’s that going for you?”

He laughed, a real laugh. “He’s horrible,” he said. “Really. His stance is all wrong, he can’t blow correctly…” he laughed again. “Usually I would still have him using the headjoint, but he seemed to be getting discouraged. And learning how to play ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’ can’t hurt, right?”

Nina raised an eyebrow, and he amended. “Well, it can’t hurt anything but my ears. But it’s a big house, so it’s not like I can’t escape if I need to.”

A sound suddenly arose, horrible and screeching, and Nina turned, startled, to find Jesper sitting and attempting to play the flute.

“Saints,” she whispered. “I thought Kaz was joking when he said Jesper would start playing.”

Wylan frowned. “I don’t think Kaz is capable of joking.”

“You,” she said, grabbing her butterscotch and hurrying away so that they could go, now, as long as Jesper would stop that infernal noise, “have a point.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, sorry if I got any coordinates/how they got there wrong. Bear with me if I did and feel free to comment and tell me. If I notice anything, I will fix it ASAP.


End file.
